Railway-switch heel block



J y 6, 1929. F. L. MARIMAN 1,721,460

' RAILWAY SWITCH HEEL BLOCK Filed April 14, 1928 Sheetjs-Shee 1 y 1929. F. L. MARIMAN RAILWAY SWITCH HEEL BLOCK Filed April 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Shest 2 accidents as much as fifty percent.

Patented July 16, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE...

FRANK L. MARIMAN, OF PORTLAILD, OREGON.

RAILWAY-SWITCH HEEL BLOCK.

Application filed April 14,

Heretofore, it has been customary to construct heel blocks for switches, with a solid or continuous web, the bolts being extended entirely through the block from the outside of one rail to the outside of the other rail. As it is impracticable as a manufacturing proposition, to forge such solid blocks and drill the long bolt holes therethrough, such blocks are now formed of cast metal which will not yield and consequently often results in breakage as well as bending and twisting of the bolts under traiiic. Not. only are the blocks themselves expensive, but more expense is necessary in replacing them and traflicv is often delayed, particularly where such a repair must be made within a switchyard. Then too, the side of the block en gaged by the switch rail, is prone to wear and such wear cannot be taken up with blocks of the present day constructions.

It is the object of my invention to provide a heel block of new and improved, forged construction secured to the webs of the rails by independent sets of short bolts which may be quickly and easily applied or removed and do not require the drilling of any long holes through the blocks, the bolts which fasten the switch rail to the block also serving as means for taking up wear on the side of the block at which they are disposed. The block having this improved construction and relation with the rails, is free from the objections above enumerated. It possesses a sufficient degree of yieldability to yield without breakage under ordinary traftic but even if broken, can be welded and built up easily in a few minutes at trifling expense. Then too, the short bolts do not become distorted as is the case with the long bolts now used and they may be easily removed whenever necessary. The old blocks cause many derailments and wrecks because of rigidity and breakage, while in practice, the present invention reduces $151 e railroad switch heel block has no relation with the railroad frog heel block, but is positioned at the heel of the switch points or tongues and away from and between the frog and the switch points.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a top plan view of one side of a switch showing the improved heel block secured in position.

1928. Serial No. 270,034.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the heel block.

fFig. 4 is a transverse sectional view there- Fig. 5 is a side elevation.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings above briefly described, a portion of a switch structure is shown embodying rails 89 disposed in convergingrelation, the rail 9 terminating in a switch tongue 10 whose switch point is denoted at 11. Interposed between the rail 8 and the rail 91011 is the improved heel block 12.

The block is of forged construction, being of tapered, channel-shaped form and provided wit-h end walls 13 integral with its longitudinal side walls 14 and its bottom 15. The bottom 15 is beveled to solidly rest upon the bases of the rails as seen in Fig. 2, the upper edges 16 of the side Walls 14 are beveled to contact solidly with the lower sides of the rail heads, and these side walls are of such dimensions as to leave spaces 17 between them and the vertical webs of the rails. Short bolts 18 secure one of the side walls 14 to the web of the rail 8, and other short bolts 19 secure the other side wall to the webs of the rail 91011. Wear will take place at the side of the block engaging the last-named rail, but this wear may be readily taken up by tightening the bolts 19, maintaining tight contact between the upper edge of the adjacent side wall 14 and the rail head, and between the bottom 15 and the rail base. When the side wall and the web have been drawn into contact with over those heretofore employed, and as probably the best results are obtainable from the exact details disclosed, they are preferably followed.

I claim 1- 1. In a railway switch embodying two converging rails, one of which terminates in a switch tongue; an elongated one-piece longitudinally tapered heel block between said rails, said block being forged in longitudinally channeled form and provided with end I walls rising from its bottom and connecting its side walls, said bottom of the block being beveled and resting solidly on the rail bases, said side walls being spaced from the vertical websofthe rails and having beveled upper edges contacting with the lower sides of the rail heads, short bolts securing one of said I side walls to the web of one rail, and inde pendent short bolts securing the other of said side walls to the web of the other rail.

2. A railwayswitch heel block of elongated one-piece longitudinally tapered form, said block being of forged construction, provided with a longitudinally channeled formation and having end walls integral with and rising from its bottom, said end walls being integrally joined to the ends of the side walls of the block, said bottom being beveled to rest solidly on rail bases, said side walls having beveled upper edges to contact with the lower sides of the rail heads. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FRANK L. MARIMAN. 

